


Alone With You

by xxenjoy



Series: Winter Prompts 2k20 [5]
Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: First Kiss, Jealous Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, M/M, nighttime snow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:42:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27910951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxenjoy/pseuds/xxenjoy
Summary: Geralt takes a break to deal with his feelings and finds out those feelings aren't quite as unrequited as he thought.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Series: Winter Prompts 2k20 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2036359
Comments: 14
Kudos: 215





	Alone With You

**Author's Note:**

> Follow this series on [tumblr](https://witcher-and-his-bard.tumblr.com/tagged/winter-prompt-challenge-2k20)!

It's been a long day and now that everyone has settled in to sleep, Geralt can sit and think without interruption. He's glad to have Jaskier with him, still shocked that he managed to get the words out to ask him to come, but glad that he did. But being happy about it and knowing it was the right decision are two different things and Geralt is struggling with the latter. 

They had arrived late after a rough trip and Jaskier had been exhausted, yet he had still made the rounds, introducing himself and chatting to the others, telling them how pleased he was to meet them. Then he met Eskel and things were... different. He's never seen Eskel's eyes light up like that before, and the intense focus Jaskier had on him was a little overwhelming, even as a spectator. Geralt hasn't been the target of that intensity for a long time, but he remembers it well. 

He had removed himself from the situation after that, not wanting to intrude on their conversation - and he wouldn't have been able to help but listen in. He couldn't be mad about it, really, if there was something there. All he's ever wanted for Eskel is happiness and with Jaskier, he's learning still that he'd rather be alone and watch Jaskier flit off with every second person he meets than to see him lonely. It doesn't stop the thought from hurting, but it does make him feel a little better about it. 

Eventually, Jaskier had returned to his side, but they hadn't had time to do much but walk around a little before turning in. 

Jaskier has his own room and Geralt hadn't realized how much he had come to rely on Jaskier's breathing to settle him at night. It's fine though. Even if he has to wake up early, being well-rested is optional at the keep (unless he's heading into the mines with Eskel). So tonight, when he couldn't sleep, he'd gotten up and headed out into the courtyard to think.

It's dark, but Geralt's eyes adjust quickly enough and he finds himself keeping to the upper levels, looking out over the valley. It had been a long, hard journey up, harder than usual, and Jaskier hadn't complained once. Geralt smiles to himself, remembering the bright-eyed boy he'd picked up in Posada who had immediately complained about wearing the wrong boots. A lot has changed since then. 

He's leaning against the wall when he hears footsteps crunching in the snow behind him. When he looks back, he's surprised to find Jaskier smiling up at him as he climbs the stairs. 

"What are you doing out here?" Geralt asks. "You'll freeze."

"Guess you'll just have to keep me warm then, hm?" Jaskier ducks under his arm and presses himself against Geralt's chest, looking over the wall. "It really is stunning, isn't it? I mean, I guess you've seen it too many times and it's just normal to you now, but it's incredible." 

Geralt pauses, waiting for something more, but Jaskier falls surprisingly silent. He tips his head, resting it against Geralt's shoulder and he sighs softly. 

"Thank you," he whispers, "for bringing me here. I know it couldn't have been easy for you to bring a stranger home."

"You're not a stranger," Geralt blurts and as soon as he does, he regrets the words, but Jaskier will just ask anyway, so he clarifies, "they all know about you. The songs."

"Right," Jaskier hums, "the songs."

"You and Eskel seemed to get along well." Geralt spares a glance when Jaskier doesn't respond immediately and finds him red in the face. He should have known.

"It's fine," he says at the exact same time Jaskier says, "it's not what you think."

Geralt looks down at him and Jaskier squirms, out of his spot, leaning against the wall so he can face Geralt. 

"Geralt, you weren't worried about it, were you?"

"No," he says too quickly. Jaskier huffs a quiet laugh and ducks his head. 

"Oh my darling, you have nothing to be jealous of-"

"I'm not," Geralt insists, but Jaskier takes a step forward and looks up at him with those big, right eyes. Geralt can't even look at him. 

"Promise me you won't get mad," Jaskier says, "Eskel was just saying how glad he is that I'm here... because you're always so sad over the winter."

"He- Eskel-" Geralt stammers and he can feel his own face burns. 

"I thought you were happy coming up here to see your brothers?"

"I am," Geralt says and when he meets Jaskier's eyes, he realizes that's not going to be enough. "I miss you," he admits, staring firmly at the ground, "when I'm up here and you're away in Oxenfurt."

"Oh!" Jaskier gasps and it takes a moment for Geralt to realize Jaskier's attention has been redirected. He's not sure whether he should be relieved or offended, but then he looks up. 

There's snow falling lightly around them, and Jaskier is enthralled by it. He's beautiful in his fascination, soft flakes landing his hair, and Geralt wants to keep this moment forever. 

"I've never seen the snow like this," Jaskier breathes, "On the coast, it's so wet and heavy- it doesn't stick like this. It's beautiful." 

When he looks out again, the valley is shrouded in a veil of white, the flakes falling too quickly and densely now to see much past the edges of the keep. It truly is beautiful, he thinks. Maybe Jaskier is right and he takes the views for granted or maybe it's just his presence that makes Geralt's romantic side come out. He doesn't think too much about that. 

"Do you think about me?" Jaskier asks abruptly, "when you're tucked away up here for months? I think about you in Oxenfurt. What you're doing, whether you're safe up here, who keeps you company." He doesn't look like he expects a response, but Geralt tells him anyway.

"I do. Think about you." He reaches out, flicking a particularly large snowflake from Jaskier's fringe. "Almost every day. It's too quiet up here without you."

"Oh. Why didn't you ask me to come sooner."

"I... didn't think you'd want to. Didn't want you to say no."

"I would never say no to you, my darling. Not in a million years." Geralt offers up a half-smile, but he doesn't believe him. Evidently, Jaskier realizes this and closes the remaining distance between them. 

"Listen," he says, "you're a grump and a grouch and you can pretend all you like, but I know you're soft under all this Witcher nonsense. I know you're sad when Ciri winters with Yen and I know you pretend to be this lone wolf, but really, you crave affection - even if you won't let me give it to you. But I'm here now and there's only so far you can go with the valley being snowed in as we speak.

"Geralt," he whispers, "I know you don't share my feelings, but don't pretend like you're oblivious. Stupid doesn't suit you."

"Your what-?" Geralt's mind reelings, afraid that he's misunderstood, but Jaskier is standing there before him looking so soft and sincere that he doesn't know how he could have. 

"Geralt, what did I just-" he doesn't get to finish his sentence because Geralt acts before he can think too much about it. He runs his thumb over Jaskier's bottom lip, effectively silencing him, and for a moment he can't do anything but stare at him.

Jaskier's fingers slip around his wrist, gently pulling his hand away, and he slips up into Geralt's space, bumping their noses together. He hesitates only for a second before pushing forward and kissing him softly. Geralt's mind shuts down for a moment as he tries to register Jaskier's mouth against his own, but then he's kissing him back, arms slipping around Jaskier's waist like they belong there.

Jaskier lets out a little moan as Geralt deepens the kiss and he slips his arms around his neck, holding him close. It does something to him that he's not expecting and Geralt moves automatically, lifting Jaskier onto the wall and pressing in between his thighs. 

He's wanted this for so long that he doesn't think and it's not until Jaskier pulls away to breathe that he realizes what he's doing. 

"Sorry-" he starts, tugging backward, but Jaskier hauls him back. 

"Don't you dare," he breathes, wrapping his legs around him and pulling him into another kiss. 

Geralt lets himself be drawn in, wondering how the hell he managed to read things so wrong for so long. But as the snow continues to fall around them and Jaskier pulls him impossibly closer, he decides that it doesn't really matter anymore.


End file.
